The island of Corfu boasts its own Shakespeare – minus the final “e.” John Davenport Shakespear, a British officer, lived on the island along with his family sometime during 1856 to 1860 and fell in love with the medium of photography. His wonderful collection of images is now the basis of a new display at the Mon Repos residence.

The former royal palace has been operating as a museum of antiquities in recent years. Shakespear’s photography collection, donated by his family to the Greek state in 2005, is a suitable addition. Shakespear fought in the Crimean War and was seriously wounded. He returned to England, met Louisa Caroline Sayer, his future bride, and together they moved to Corfu where their daughter was born. On the island, they met the artist Edward Lear, who sold his photography equipment to Shakespear who went on to capture images of Corfu before its incorporation into Greece.